BWF World Championships Returns To New Delhi In 2026 After 17 Years

Last Updated:September 01, 2025, 19:52 IST

The BWF World Championships returns to New Delhi in August 2026 after 17 years.

New Delhi to host 30th edition of BWF World Championships in August 2026 (Badminton Photo)

The BWF World Championships will return to India after 17 years, with New Delhi set to host the 30th edition in August 2026. This announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the 2025 Championships in Paris, where a handover took place between BWF president Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, Frank Laurent, president of the Federation Francaise de Badminton, and Sanjay Mishra, general secretary of the Badminton Association of India.

India’s selection highlights its emergence as a consistent medal-winning nation at the BWF World Championships, with 15 podium finishes since 1983.

The country achieved its breakthrough with Prakash Padukone’s bronze in Copenhagen in 1983. In 2011, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa became the first Indian doubles medallists, marking the nation’s overall rise. Leading the charge is PV Sindhu, one of the most successful women’s singles players in the tournament’s history, with five medals: a gold, two silvers, and two bronze.

India’s medal streak has remained unbroken since 2011, most recently extended by Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s bronze in Paris 2025, their second at the event.

Sanjay Mishra expressed his gratitude, stating, “On behalf of the Badminton Association of India, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the BWF for entrusting us with the honour of hosting the World Championships in Delhi in August 2026. We assure that India will give nothing less than 100% to uphold and carry forward the same standards of excellence and grandeur that Paris has showcased. We look forward to welcoming the badminton family to Delhi."

When Did India Last Host BWF World Championships?

A decade after India first hosted the BWF World Championships in Hyderabad in 2009, Sindhu triumphed over Nozomi Okuhara in Basel in 2019 to become India’s first-ever gold medallist at the World Championships.

During this period, Saina Nehwal also contributed with two medals—a silver in 2015 and a bronze in 2017, the latter marking the first time India had two women on the podium (with Sindhu’s silver in 2017). Their combined success has made women’s singles the strongest category for India on the global stage, contributing a total of seven medals to the country’s overall tally.

Indian men have also performed well in recent editions. Kidambi Srikanth (silver, 2021), B. Sai Praneeth (bronze, 2019), Lakshya Sen (bronze, 2021), and HS Prannoy (bronze, 2023) have all achieved podium finishes in singles, while Rankireddy and Shetty made history as the first Indians to medal in men’s doubles, with back-to-back bronzes in 2022 and 2025.

First held in 1977 in Malmö, Sweden, the BWF World Championships has evolved into badminton’s most prestigious event, rotating across Europe, Asia, and North America.

The 2026 edition in New Delhi will mark the tournament’s return to Asia after four years, reinforcing the continent’s central role in the sport’s growth. For India, hosting the Championships again underscores its status as both a powerhouse on court and a significant destination on the global badminton map.

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin...

Read More

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First Published:

September 01, 2025, 19:52 IST

News sports BWF World Championships Returns To New Delhi In 2026 After 17 Years

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